Apple Pencil Pairing and Charging

Most Apple Pencil issues are pairing or charging issues, and most are caused by one of a few specific problems. Walk through these in order.

Apple Pencil Pro

"It won't charge"

1. Remove the grip. This is the most common cause. The Pencil grip blocks the magnetic charging surface. Charging will not work with the grip on.
2. Check orientation. Snap the Pencil onto the magnetic strip on the side of the iPad with the tip facing away from the power button. If the tip is facing the wrong way, the Pencil will not charge.
3. Wake the iPad. The iPad needs to be awake (screen on) when you first attach the Pencil to register it.
4. Watch for the battery banner. When the Pencil is attached correctly, the iPad shows the Pencil's battery level briefly. If you don't see that banner, charging isn't happening.

"It won't pair"

1. Open Settings → Bluetooth on iPad. Make sure Bluetooth is on.
2. Snap the Pencil onto the magnetic strip (tip facing away from the power button, grip removed).
3. Wait for the "Apple Pencil Pro" banner. That confirms pairing.
4. If no banner appears within 30 seconds, restart the iPad and try again.

Apple Pencil (1st generation)

"It won't charge"

1. Confirm you have the USB-C to Apple Pencil adapter — the small white adapter that came with the iPad kit.
2. Plug the Pencil into the adapter, then plug the adapter into the iPad's USB-C port.
3. The iPad shows a pairing prompt and the Pencil starts charging.

"It won't pair"

1. Plug the Pencil into the iPad through the USB-C adapter.
2. Tap Pair on the prompt that appears.
3. If no prompt appears, the iPad isn't seeing the Pencil — check the adapter is fully seated and try a different USB-C port if available.

Pen tip is worn out

If the Pencil is writing intermittently or scratching the screen protector roughly, the pen tip is likely worn. Swap to a fresh tip from the case:

• LHS (left-hand side) tips are the recommended tips. They give a ballpoint-pen feel.
• Original Apple Pencil tips work as a backup.

To change a tip, unscrew the old one counter-clockwise and screw the new one in.

Still stuck?

If the Pencil pairs and charges but writing still doesn't feel right, see iPad not recognizing writing.

If hardware feels genuinely broken, contact support@usescribble.com.

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